Northern Thai
Sai Oua: grilled sausage, lemongrass spice.
Gaeng Hang Lay
Kaeng hang lay is a rich pork curry with Burmese influences, embodying the complex spice blends of Northern Thai cuisine.
View page →Northern Thai food, from the old Lanna kingdom around Chiang Mai, is milder and less sweet than the rest of the country, and leans on bitter, herbal, and fermented notes rather than coconut milk. The signature dish is khao soi, egg noodles in a curry broth built on coconut milk and a curry paste, topped with a tangle of crisp fried noodles, served with shallots, pickled mustard greens, and lime — a recipe shaped by trade with neighboring Burma. Gaeng hang lay is the other Burmese-influenced staple: a slow-stewed pork-belly curry seasoned with ginger, tamarind, and a turmeric-heavy spice mix, with no coconut milk. Sai ua is the local grilled pork sausage, packed with lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaf, and chili. Meals are usually eaten with sticky rice rolled into a ball by hand, alongside nam prik num, a roasted green-chili dip, and crunchy pork rinds.
Start Here
A rich pork curry with a balance of ginger and palm sugar.
Why start here · Gaeng Hang Lay is the perfect introduction to Northern Thai cuisine's Burmese influences and its use of warming spices.
A curry noodle soup with a dual texture of soft and crispy noodles.
Why start here · Khao Soi exemplifies the region's love for creamy coconut broths and textural contrasts.
A spicy sausage infused with lemongrass and galangal.
Why start here · Sai Oua showcases the Northern Thai affinity for aromatic herbs and spices.
The Pantry
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How They Cook
Techniques that define this cuisine
Kindred Kitchens
Cuisines built on the same signature ingredients
Other regions
Siblings within Thai — each its own tradition.
